Thursday, August 8, 2013

New school performance ratings announced by Texas Education Agency | Education Blog

New school performance ratings announced by Texas Education Agency | Education Blog:


New school performance ratings announced by Texas Education Agency


2
2
0
Texas schools received performance marks from the state for the first time since 2011 on Thursday as a new rating system debuted based largely on the two-year-old STAAR testing program. The new system is more comprehensive than what it replaced and addresses many of the complaints of school administrators about the old system that had been in place since the 1990s.
But it also includes a new emphasis on closing long-standing achievement gaps between white and minority students – a tough task for many schools. “Closing the performance gap is the most significant (feature) of the new system,” state Education Commissioner Michael Williams said this week. Districts and campuses received one of two ratings: “met standard” or “improvement required.” Schools also could earn distinctions in math and reading, and for ranking in the top 25 percent in student progress on the STAAR.
The 2013 school performance ratings were just released by the Texas Education Agency at this link


Read the letter Dallas County Schools sent to Dallas ISD teachers who also drive buses
WFAA (Channel 8) reported earlier this week that 37 Dallas ISD teachers who also drive buses for Dallas County Schools must decide by today which jobs they want to keep. Dallas ISD operations chief Wanda Paul ordered that the teacher cannot continue to do both jobs because some people were actually driving buses while they supposed to be on their DISD job. This afternoon, one of these teachers, F
Nearly 9 percent of Texas schools fail to meet state standards
Texas schools returned to the performance stage after a two-year absence Thursday under a new pass-fail rating system that found most districts and campuses up to par. But a sizable number of schools are struggling to close long-standing achievement gaps between white and minority students – now a key factor in the performance ratings. School districts and campuses were graded with one of two rat


By Texas accountability standards, most schools are doing pretty well
Much more coverage of the TEA’s release of the school and district accountability standards to come. But here are a few quick, depending on your point of view, highlights or not. To review: Four “indexes.” Districts can either get “met standard” or “improvement required.” Schools also get those, and can earn up to three different “distinction” awards. Without doing into detail about what any of
Dallas ISD has ‘met standard’ under new Texas school accountability ratings
The Texas Education Agency announced the new school performance ratings Thursday afternoon, and Dallas ISD has “met standard.” Districts and schools receive either that  grade or “improvement required.” In total, all but 41 of Dallas ISD schools also received “met standard,” meaning they surpassed the states goals in student achievement, student progress, closing performance gaps and postsecondar